Assessing Application-Based Breastfeeding Education for Physicians and Nurses: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Education
• Lactation Support

Background:

• Healthcare professionals require standardized lactation education for effective breastfeeding support.
• Current training gaps lead to provider deficits in confidence and skills for guiding mothers.
• Application-based learning is crucial for improving breastfeeding management skills and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review application-based learning tools for breastfeeding management in medical and nursing professions.
• To evaluate the methods used for assessing learner and patient outcomes in these interventions.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of peer-reviewed articles (2000-2018).
• Inclusion of studies targeting medical/nursing students, residents, or professionals in application-based educational interventions.
• Independent assessment of teaching methods, curriculum development, and reported learning outcomes.

Main Results:

• Ten articles met inclusion criteria (5 medical, 5 nursing).
• Common application-based methods included using real patients, role-playing, and standardized patients.
• Significant variability observed in teaching and evaluation strategies.

Conclusions:

• A scarcity of high-quality studies on breastfeeding education for physicians and nurses exists.
• Inconsistent teaching and evaluation methods highlight a lack of standardization in lactation education.
• Further research is needed to establish effective, standardized application-based learning tools.